CAMPBELL RIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 20, 2014) - Support for more health care funding in two of Vancouver Island's new ridings (Vancouver Island North-Comox-Powell River and Courtenay-Alberni) reaches nearly 90 per cent, according to a recent survey conducted for the Hospital Employee's Union. Yet BC is facing a $5 billion cut to health care funding by the federal government over the next ten years. By refusing to sign a new health accord with the provinces, the federal government is abandoning its responsibility to protect quality public health care services for all British Columbians.

Tonight in Campbell River, the Council of Canadians and the Hospital Employees' Union (the BC health services division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees) are hosting a town hall meeting to discuss what these cuts will mean for British Columbians, and what can be done to support public solutions to make our health care stronger for all Canadians.

"With fair federal funding, we can create the health care system we need, with quality public health care for every British Columbian and every Canadian," says Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians. "But when the federal government let the 2004 Health Accord expire and refused to negotiate a new agreement with the provinces and territories, it walked away from its responsibility to protect our public health care system."

Barlow will be joined by Paul Moist, national president of CUPE, and Lois Jarvis, from Citizens For Quality Health Care, at tonight's town hall to discuss the need for the federal government to be a full partner with British Columbia and the other provinces and territories on health care.

"Without a new agreement, it will mean $36 billion less for Medicare over the next 10 years. This is not acceptable," says Moist. "Over 87 per cent of British Columbians - along with Canadians in every region of the country and across party lines - support public solutions to make health care stronger. What we're missing is real federal leadership to protect our public health care system."

The town hall will feature in-depth discussions on how health care funding cuts will affect services for British Columbia and explore effective ways to expand public health care to better serve the changing needs of Canadians - such a public home care, long-term care and a national pharmacare program.

The Council of Canadians and HEU invite the public to participate in the town hall meeting